Snowstorms give skiers early start

A series of snowstorms that blanketed the Cascade Range has drawn skiers to the slopes earlier than usual and prompted the state to close a mountain highway east of Seattle because of avalanche concerns.

The storms brought deeper November snow than ski areas have seen in years.

Officials at Mt. Baker Ski Area said the resort had gotten 70 inches of snow in four days, boosting its base depth to 94 inches.

“This is a tremendous amount of snow for this time of year,” spokeswoman Gwyn Howat said. “In the last 15 years, it’s probably only happened a couple times.”